1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire repair tool and, more particularly, to a tire repair tool, system and method for permanently patching tires, in situ, without removing the tire from the wheel or the wheel from the conveyance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional methods for patching exterior punctures of a tire require removing the tire from the wheel for patching and, subsequently, reinstalling the tire on the wheel. This is the traditional way to patch clincher-type bicycle tires. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,355 to Squyres. However, the removal, patching and reinstallation of the tire, using these methods, is very time consuming.
What is needed is the ability to repair a tire without having to remove the tire from the wheel, and/or the wheel from the vehicle.
Some tire repair methods and devices have been disclosed that propose to repair a puncture to the tire without removing it from the wheel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,736 to Crandall discloses a tire repair device for repairing punctures in tubeless vehicle tires. In Crandall, a hole expanding means is provided which includes a rigid probe member adapted to follow a nail hole and to deposit lubricant and/or cementing adhesive on the walls of the hole. After the probe member is withdrawn, in Crandall, it may be inserted into a hollow cylindrical guide sleeve member provided with a tapered expandable end, said tapered end merging with the probe tip to permit the probe and guide members to be forced into and through a puncture hole to expand the same. A repair plug carrier is also provided which is adapted to receive and hold a resilient plug element including an outwardly and backwardly flared head portion of outwardly tapering cross section and a tail section of relatively small diameter. In Crandall, the tail section is grasped at one end of the plug carrier to longitudinally stretch and draw the plug member into the plug carrier tube until the headed portion sits against one end of the tube of the repair plug carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,190 to Nowotny discloses a cartridge plug tire patching apparatus for repairing punctures in tubeless tires without their removal from their rims. In Nowotny, a cartridge loaded with, among other things, a mushroom-shaped plug and a bonding agent is used with a tool. See also, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 607,379 to Jones, disclosing a repair kit for single tube bicycle tires and U.S. Pat. No. 557,851 to Mercier, disclosing a method of repairing pneumatic tires.
While the foregoing references disclose tire repair for tubeless tires, a repair device, system and method for repairing tires having an inner tube are additionally needed.
Additionally, tubular, or sew-up, bicycle tires are known wherein the tire is a one piece system in which a tire is sewn together around the inner tube. Tubular tires are used on special rims and are held to the rim by glue or two sided tape. Traditionally, if a tubular tire were punctured, it would have to be removed from the rim, discarded, replaced with a new, intact tubular tire and re-glued to the rim, as the inner tube was not accessible for repair, even after removal of the tire from the rims. Thus, there is a need for a repair device, kit, system and/or method that can be used to repair the inner tube of a tire that is not accessible through the outer tire covering, even when removed from the rim (i.e., such as a tubular tire).
U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,707 to Notz discloses a method for repairing punctures in pneumatic tires and tubes which includes forcing a latex paste of the air-setting type or other suitable puncture sealing compound through a puncture aperture in the tire casing and over the puncture in the inner tube, so that the aperture in the tire casing is completely filled with rubber, and an outer patch of rubber is formed on the exterior of the inner tube. Notz discloses that the outer patch of Notz, formed on the exterior of the inner tube, does not permanently adhere to the tire casing. See, for example, col. 2 of Notz, lines 31-39.
What is needed is a tire patching device, system and method that can be used to easily and quickly patch a puncture in the inner tube of a tire using a patch inserted through the outer casing of the tire without removing the tire and/or inner tube from the wheel. What is further needed is a self-contained tire repair unit that is portable, easy to setup and easy to use.